Report from Gastein Valley

Last few days skiing/boarding over Xmas.
Bad Hofgastein had some snowy runs but many icy 'motorways'.
Dorfgastein had more space with snow. Can ski to the valley.
Both had some 'closed runs' which were actually still being used.
Sportgastein was reported as better than Hofgastein.



As we left (early Dec 29) snow was falling. Not heavily.


General point. I liked the area and the timetabled bus service seems better
than some reviews suggest. And it is a really short drive to Salzburg.
Sorry- gone OT now.

A regular reported that it is always likely to be more icy there than, say,
the Pyrenees. BUT it is much more 'chocolate-boxy' cute.

John
--
John Owens
www.goodviews.co.uk
Fax +44 1509 890822

"John Owens" wrote in
:

Last few days skiing/boarding over Xmas.
Bad Hofgastein had some snowy runs but many icy 'motorways'.
Dorfgastein had more space with snow. Can ski to the valley.
Both had some 'closed runs' which were actually still being used.
Sportgastein was reported as better than Hofgastein.



As we left (early Dec 29) snow was falling. Not heavily.


General point. I liked the area and the timetabled bus service seems
better than some reviews suggest. And it is a really short drive to
Salzburg. Sorry- gone OT now.

A regular reported that it is always likely to be more icy there than,
say, the Pyrenees. BUT it is much more 'chocolate-boxy' cute.

John

Just back from there too (pls see trip report). No, the snow on the 29th
was minimal. More was expected on the 30th but I don't think it
materialised and the forcast is now suggesting Sunday (31) night. The
resort could do with another 30cm as the ice is starting to look bare in
places.

Many of the closed runs were open by the 28th and it was posisble (and
indeed some of the best snow was there) to ski from the top of Hohe
Scharte, down to the Aeroplan resto and then down to the road on a red run
which was icy only really in the last section.